From the editor | MOU with Museum of Victoria | Thurston Garden now under Suva City Council | Trip to historical Viwa Island | Quiz Night | Upgoming Exhibitions
1st Quarter - January - March, 2008
A Quarterly Newsletter from the Friends of the Fiji Museum
Editors Note
Bula Friends,
Thanks to all members who have renewed their yearly subscription and a warm welcome to all new members.
MOU with Museum of Victoria
Greetings to all you readers out there.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Museum of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia and the Fiji Museum first signed back in the late 1990s has seen the relationship with this museum blossom and the museum helped in many ways. One of the ways is the on-going project which will result in the Fiji Museum seeing its shipment of new specially developed museum shelves to better store the artefacts according to museum conditions. The current storage area of the museum is cramped and is in need of a better storage system.
Earlier this year, Tubuka Raikaci (Conservator) and Jone N. Balenaivalu (HOD Prehistory Archaeology) travelled to Australia to further discuss this project which will see the Fiji Museum storage rooms utilise the space and height of the room to better store the artefacts in them. A cargo container of gondolier shelving, museum standard type cupboards and shelves will arrive in August of this year. Museum staff are currently training on how to handle objects by our Conservator and are being prepared to handle this mammoth task. The taking down of the current shelving and clearing out of the storage area prior to putting in the new shelves may take two months in total to complete. This project has been discussed and on-going since 2003. Funds from ICOM Australia has made it possible.
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Thurston Garden now under SCC
The Thurston Gardens, after years of being left neglected - the lease has officially been handed to SCC. The Fiji Museum staff took to cleaning the garden as best they could, as the garden was practically their “front yard” but were often undermined with inadequate funding and the breaking down of the brushcutters and lawnmowers. The garden is now looking at its best and is enjoying visitors who come to enjoy the well trimmed hedges and pretty flowers and greenery. The museum congratulates the Suva City Council on the Thurston gardens and its ‘new’ look.
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Trip to historical Viwa Island
The Trip to Viwa Island was a success, those who managed to show up on that rainy day, were treated to a historical tour of the places where the famous missionary, Mr. John Hunt walked and prayed in that beautiful island.
Arriving at the Bau landing, we were transported across on launches that had to hurry to make it to the island before the tide went out.
At Viwa Island, the Turaga ni Koro met with us and got us ready to troop up to the village hall, where most of the Viwa men awaited us for a ceremonial yaqona welcoming, the women were busy in the kitchen preparing a sumptious meal. After the introductions and a bit of yaqona drinking, the women came in with plates of cakes, biscuits and scones for tea.
Later, we were divided into groups and shown the historic sites, the site where the first bible was printed, to the John Hunt Church and the graves of John Hunt, Joeli Pulu and many others. The church perched on the hill had a stunning view of Lomaiviti sea region, we could clearly see Ovalau and the many islands dotted around Viwa. Then it was off to the quiet praying spot amongst Mango trees for John Hunt, due to the rainy weather, the trek was a bit hazardous for some, but it was fun. Then to the 100 steps ..we came back to a gorgeous meal prepared by the ladies of Viwa, and sat and ate, contemplating the island, quiet conversation with others and the centre of attraction during the meal, was a little native Fijian frog bought in by one of the boys. It was a beautiful smooth skinned frog unlike the many toads we have here in Suva.
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Quiz Night
The Fiji Museum Fundraising and the Friends of the Fiji Museum had the annual Quiz night on the 31st of May. There were only three teams that took part in this annual event, with many prizes to be won. We would like to thank all the sponsors who helped by donating prizes:-
Vuvale Restaurants (McDonalds), KFC, Pizza King, Arts Village, Asha Bhai & Co., ANZ Bank, Munro Lee and Village 6.
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Upgoming Exhibitions
The Fiji Museum will be hosting several exciting exhibitions this year, namely the “Sacred Legacy” - a photographic exhibit about North American Indians by Edward S. Curtis, in conjunction with the United States Embassy in June, 2008. Then in July, “The Tale of Two Museums” by Isabelle Dina, another photographic exhibition comparing the new Parisian Museum - the Quai Branly Museum with an extensive Oceanic collection, and in August, Ms Anneke Silver, an acclaimed Australian artist from Townsville, with her exhibition of paintings “Sail and Swim” - paintings will be sold via our Gift Shop.
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CONTINUE TO SECOND QUARTER
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